


Little Red Bird

by toastova



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-06 13:00:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11601168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toastova/pseuds/toastova
Summary: Nina Zenik attends highschool and runs an anonymous love advice website on a runoff of the school's website. When Matthias Helvar transfers from a different school, trouble starts.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first fic. Please give feedback!

Nina swung her bag over her shoulder and walked out into the chilly air. "Late, Late, you're late," she muttered over and over under her breath between bites of pastry dripping with honey. "Yeah, we're late," a voice said from her right. Nina smiled. "Yeah, but you could slip into class and everyone would swear you'd been there since six in the morning." Sure enough, when she turned, there was Inej, sporting her turtleneck and gymnast shorts, an odd combination that she made work. There were shadows under her friend's eyes. "Kaz had me working on an article waaaay late," she said, following Nina's gaze. Nina, Inej, and many of their friends worked on the school paper, website, and inner social workings day and night, tweaking, breaking, writing, fixing, observing. "Ah," She said. "Want a bite?" She offered Inej the sticky treat, but the smaller girl wrinkled her nose. "Shoot. We need to hurry." They broke into a jog, Inej's dark braid pinned up to prevent it from swinging. Nina's hair was thick and brown and elbowlength and usually allowed to frizz and curl and pouf out undone, but today it was in a messy bun, tendrils of it coming down around her ears. She took her friends hand. "Run, Nej!" They ran, laughing. "Kaz would- not approve- of such-" Inej bent, gasping for air as she giggled. "-lollygagging." Nina shook her head, green eyes glinting. "Damn- right- he wouldn't- I'll see you at lunch okay?" Inej nodded and they split, Nina bursting into her classroom as the clock struck. There was a boy, burly and pale and scowling, standing at the front of the class next to Mr. Haskell. Nina widened her eyes. Not him. He went to a rival school on the other side of town and helped run the opposing school's newspaper, like Nina- they'd gone to the same middle school and been close, and although he'd gone to the highschool it fed into, Nina had transferred without telling him, ending their friendship. She caught the eye of Kaz, sitting in the back row. He smirked faintly as if to say yeah, that's him. Kaz knew everything about everyone, thanks to Inej. The teacher cleared his throat as Nina sat. "Class, please welcome Matthias Helvar."


	2. New kids

Nina could feel Matthias' eyes on her as she gulped and made her way to her seat. She looked up and there he was, watching her intently. The week she'd transferred she'd been so upset she couldn't tell him- and then it had happened and he'd texted her over and over, asking, pleading for a response, saying he didn't care she was from the other side of town they could be friends, calling her, and she'd been so afraid to answer, convincing herself that soon she would, and beg for forgiveness, and then he stopped and it was like he'd never existed because Nina had met Kaz. She suddenly felt ashamed that she'd worn jeans that she'd found in the laundry. Would he hate her favorite red sweater? Would he hate her hair that she’d grown out, the dark lipstick she wore? Would he- did he- hate her for what she’d done? She supposed he had a right too. She’d disappeared without a word, leaving him with nothing but his parent’s assurance that she had not been kidnapped. One week he’d called her mother while Nina cried at Inej’s, too embarrassed to even be in the general vicinity while he spoke on the phone. He’d grown handsome though- short blond hair and eyes like ice chips. “Beautiful boy,” her mother had said in her thick accent. “Maybe our nina marry him someday.” Nina blushed at the memory and hurried to sit. Kaz winked at her and she gestured at him vulgarly under a desk. “My name is Matthias Helvar,” Matthias said, oblivious to the snickers. Nina shook her head. The teacher just said that, you big oaf. “I used to know Nina,” he said bluntly, and turned to point at her, his gaze unwavering. “I would not trust her as a friend.” Nina blushed crimson as everyone turned and whispered, sneering. Nina buried her head in her desk, hoping her saintforsaken hair would do good this one time. From what she could see, Mr. Haskell was blushing too. “Well- go sit over there, Matthias-” great. His desk was directly across from hers. “Now, everyone pull out your books and turn to page four- Matthias, you can share with Rotty over there…”  
Later, at lunch, Inej’s eyes widened as Nina recounted her humiliating story. “I’m sorry. But you did- you know, vanish a bit rudely,” her friend said, her accent elongating the “r”. “I know,” Nina said, sighing. “I’d think you’d be used to being called out as a bitch,” Jesper plopped down next to Inej. “What with running a freaking anonymous website and being a sixteen year old superstar.” Inej turned to him, brows furrowed. “Nina is lovely,” she said. “And swearing is only for occasions most necessary.” Kaz gave a barely perceptible nod of agreement, and he looked down at his tray when he saw that Nina had noticed. Closest to blushing she’d ever seen him. “Also, guys, this is Wylan,” Jesper said, gesturing to a boy that Nina hadn’t noticed, blond and so pink cheeked she thought he ought to be in a little maid’s costume. “Hi,” he said shyly. “Wylan here is going to help us with the printing numbers and whatnot. Somewhat of a math prodigy, but he looks like a six year old.” Wylan blushed. “Pleased to meet you,” Nina said, reaching to grasp his hand, pleased at how he reddened again. “Welcome to the crew.”


End file.
